University of Washington Husky basketball won’t ever be confused with what goes on at North Carolina or Kentucky, but there’s no reason it can’t be a poor man’s imitation. People will fill the seats if the game is played right. This blog will provide insight, decades of historical perspective dating back to the unforgettable Mac Duckworth era, and, yes, occasionally a wiseacre’s point of view.

Overton revisited

Love him or hate him was the question posed on this blog to Washington basketball fans over the weekend regarding sophomore guard Venoy Overton, often in the middle of court mayhem.

The number of responses was a little overwhelming (100 plus), especially for a dying blog, one possibly ready to shut down with the rest of the newspaper this week, tomorrow, maybe today. Who knows?

That said, Overton appears to have more fans than critics locally, which isn’t all that surprising. He plays to make people uncomfortable, and he appears to be appreciated by the majority of you for that style, though some suggested he might tone down the chatter. He’s recognized as a competitor, seeking a competitive advantage.

One thing that came out in the discussion that needs correcting, and has UW coach Lorenzo Romar and the UW in great despair, is the suggestion that Overton was offering gang signs during the Arizona State game last Friday night, as so many of you watching on TV were led to believe.

Overton was “throwing down the W, or the Dub,” as a few student e-mailers corrected, a customized gesture signifying Washington and created back in the Robinson-Roy era. Brockman has done it. Husky fans have done it. Even Romar’s daughter, Taylor, a cheerleader has done it. It was nothinig more than that, a W in the heat of battle to indicate who he plays for.